Public Statements

Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012, Part II

Floor Speech

Certainly, the President of the United States knows how to say ``no.'' He says ``no'' to the Keystone pipeline, turning down its application just 3 months ago. This gives the United States access to probably the largest known oil reserve sitting there in a pool in North America, but the President won't allow us to have access to it. Yet during this administration, gas prices at the pump have gone up 120 percent.

People in my district keep asking me, What's the energy policy? I have to tell them I don't know. He kills the pipeline giving us access to oil which would increase supply in the United States, yet sends billions of dollars to Solyndra and solar panel companies to further flood the market with more solar panels. So I don't know what the plan is to lower gas prices because he's not giving us access.

Now, let's look at this $7 billion privately funded--that's right, maybe that's the problem: it's privately funded--infrastructure project to bring us more gasoline. It's denied. A $7 billion project to bring 20,000 new jobs. The President says he'll do anything to create new jobs, but kills the pipeline that would get union workers off the benches and into the fields working.

The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.

Mr. MICA. I yield the gentleman an additional 15 seconds.

Mr. TERRY. He kills those 20,000 direct jobs. There's millions of jobs, if we just used our own resources. Do you know that we can be completely energy secure using our own resources? But this administration lacks the will to be able to do that.